Such transfer apparatuses are among others known from European patent application 0.259.920 and from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,453,045 and 5,672,098, the contents of which being included in this text by reference.
The poultry, chicken or turkeys, hanging upside down from their legs or knees in hangers are transferred here from the one overhead conveyor, for instance a cooling line, by means of one or more transfer wheels to a subsequent overhead conveyor, for instance a drip conveyor. Both conveyors can be situated in line with each other, but also at an angle, for instance 90 degrees. It is of importance here which rotation direction both overhead conveyors have with respect to each other. Depending on that an even or odd number of transfer wheels have to be deployed. When the rotation direction is opposite, an odd number of transfer wheels is necessary, the orientation of the carcasses with respect to the line remaining the same. In case of a same rotation direction an even number is necessary, the orientation of the carcasses with respect to the line being reversed. In each case there is question of a central transfer wheel and one or several transfer wheels placed between the central transfer wheel and one or both conveyors, for correction of the rotation direction of the carcasses and/or for synchronisation.
For the slaughter process the orientation of the carcass is of importance.
For the one treatment it is for instance necessary that the carcass is transported with the breast forward through the processing station in question, for another treatment an orientation with the breast to the outside is desirable.
Usually hangers are used the orientation of which with respect to the process path or conveyor is fixed. There are hangers available that are provided with means for rotating the hanger with respect to the trolley in question moving past the conveyor to which trolley the hanger is attached. Such hangers, however, require an additional investment, and moreover are not always suitable to be accommodated in an existing slaughter line.